The National Center for Science Education (NCSE), which has long been in the lead in defending the teaching of evolution in public schools, has expanded its core mission to include defending climate science, the organization announced in January.

“We consider climate change a critical issue in our own mission to protect the integrity of science education,” said NSCE executive director Eugenie Scott. “Climate affects everyone, and the decisions we make today will affect generations to come. We need to teach kids now about the realities of global warming and climate change so that they’re prepared to make informed, intelligent decisions in the future.”

The new education initiative includes providing information about climate change and tools and support “to ensure that climate change is properly and effectively taught in public schools,” according to NCSE. For more information, visit http://ncse.com/.

The use of the term “defend” is an odd use when applied to science. The scientific method requires that hypotheses be tested to see if they can be refuted. The use of the term “defend”, however, is more approapriate for a value-based system (e.g. defending one’s rights under law) than what a science education organization should be doing. This is yet another example of adocacy masking as science.